Boardroom snowboard shop opens

Great News! Together with two entrepreneur friends we have opened a snowboard store in Cologne: The BOARDROOM. We talked to Hannes Degenhardt, the company owner of UNIT Parktech, about what UNIT has to do with snowboarding. Spoiler: Quite a lot!

Hey Hannes, why does opening a snowboard store mean “back to the roots” for you?

JD: My love for boardsports started in 1988, when I saw snowboarders on the Dachstein glacier for the first time at the age of 10. The three guys carved past me and this moment has been burned into my memory forever. In the same year I got my first snowboard: A Nidecker Rocky 135 with a binding for ski boots. In 1990 a “Burton Air” followed, in the years after that boards from Sims, Crazy Banana and even a Huga Buga. The snowboard dealer of trust at that time was “Holiday Windsurfing” in Cologne. Shopping for snowboard gear was the coolest thing I could imagine at that time. In 1997 I stood behind the counter in a snowboard store for the first time. The store was called “Cosmos Sport” and was legendary back then.

Hannes, back in 2008, with a snow shovel in his hand

And also our Head of Sales David Vervenne has deep snowboard roots

Tell us about our beginnings. UNIT and snowboarding – how are they connected?

JD: The sole purpose of our company foundation in 2008 was to build snowparks and organize snowboard events. At that time we built many parks in Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria and even in Russia. UNIT also did a lot of work for the Air&Style event. So most of my education in boardsports was in the snowboard industry.

What is the vision of BOARDROOM?

JD: With the extinction of the core snowboard stores in and around Cologne, a vacuum was created in our hometown. Kids like me back then, no longer have a GoTo Place when it comes to experiencing the sport outside of the snowboard vacation and exchanging ideas with like-minded people. The BOARDROOM is meant to be a store where snowboarding is lived without compromise. We want to bring the legacy of legends like Jake Burton over time and bring the culture of snowboarding to life.

What brands does the BOARDROOM carry and what else is offered?

JD:On 90 m2 square meters we carry over 350 products from Burton, Volcom, Bataleon, Oakley, Vans, Rome, Arbor and Rip Curl and many more. In addition, we have a rental and excellent snowboard service.

Thank you Hannes. That’s exactly how it is! At BOARDROOM, we care about advice, great equipment and service. Come visit us at Silcherstraße 20 in Cologne.

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